In a dramatic Women’s FA Cup final, Chelsea edged Manchester City 3-2 in extra time thanks to Australian sensation Sam Kerr’s deflected strike, know the 2022 attendance and prize money
It was a tense matchup between the two most in-form clubs in the country; City had a 13-game winning run and Chelsea had an 11-game winning streak heading into Wembley.
Surprisingly, the last time one of these teams lost a match was against the other. And it was, predictably, a remarkably equal contest.
Women’s FA Cup Final 2022 Winner, Result, Score, Attendance, Prize Money Pool Breakdown
The final of English soccer’s 2022 Women’s FA Cup between Chelsea and Manchester City set a new attendance record for the competition, with 49,094 fans watching at the Wembley Stadium. The current prize money for winning the Women’s FA Cup is £25,000, with £15,000 going to the runner-up this year.
Adam Boyes and Chloe Williams were presented with the inaugural Golden Ball Awards as Boyes scored eleven goals for Northern Premier League Division One East side Marske United FC and Williams had an equally impressive record, scoring 12 goals in four games for Liskeard Athletic.
Match Highlights:
The men’s and women’s FA Cup finals were held on the same weekend for the first time. And following Saturday’s stalemate between Liverpool and Chelsea, it was clear early on Sunday’s final — which drew a record crowd of 49,094 — would not follow suit.
After a hectic start, Kerr headed Millie Bright’s long, looping cross over the line at the far post to break the stalemate just after the half-hour mark. Chelsea deservedly took the lead after handling the pressure significantly better than its opponents in the first half.
It was the second major final between City and Chelsea this season, with City winning the Women’s League Cup final 3-1 in March.
Kerr scored the first goal on that day as well. And Chelsea may have been frightened of a repeat performance since the advantage lasted less than 10 minutes.
Lauren Hemp’s brilliant solo goal pulled City level, as the attacker cut inside Bright and curled a lovely attempt in at the far post, leaving Chelsea goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger frozen to the spot.
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Chelsea retook the lead soon after the hour mark, and this time it was because of an Erin Cuthbert wonder strike. She smashed a long-range strike off the underside of the crossbar. Which City goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck couldn’t come near to.
Chelsea may have believed securing back-to-back FA Cup championships was the aim. But the City side never knows when it is defeated.
Hayley Raso controlled a through ball on her chest and scored wonderfully with the outside of her boot with less than two minutes of the 90 left to bring City level once again.
Raso’s performance on the largest of stages was monumental. She wasn’t sure she’d walk again four years ago after breaking three vertebrae in an on-pitch incident while playing in the United States.
This Chelsea team, on the other hand, can boast of being one of the greatest in the country.
There were some fears that winning the women’s league title on the final day of the season, following a hard season-long struggle with Arsenal. It would have taken too much out of Chelsea, but Kerr’s tireless energy epitomized the team’s determination.
Chelsea was awarded the ball 10 minutes into extra time due to Alanna Kennedy’s blunder in missing an attempted interception. Kerr sprinted nearly the whole length of the field before unleashing a shot that bounced off Alex Greenwood. And caught Roebuck off guard.
Hayes now has 11 titles with Chelsea, solidifying her position as one of the best female managers in the game.